Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Vandenberg Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tampa, Florida 33615
Sunday, October 20, 1996 10:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Cessna 210, N81SC, was planning on departing the traffic pattern on the downwind leg and reportedly announced his takeoff, crosswind and downwind turns. The Beech 23, N4021T, was inbound from the north and announced his intention of a 'long' 2 mile downwind, which was reportedly heard by an employee at the airport. The Cessna was just completing the turn to downwind at 900 feet when the collision occurred. The pilots of both airplanes were able to land at the airport. A witness observed the collision and reported that it occurred about 1/4 mile north and 1/3 mile west of the departure end of runway 36. A component from the Cessna was found in a field located about 1 nautical mile and 322 degrees from the departure end of the runway. The AIM recommends that aircraft depart the traffic pattern either on the upwind leg or turn 45 degrees to the left while in the upwind leg. The recommended downwind entry is at a 45 degree angle abeam the midpoint of the downwind leg.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilots of both airplanes to see and avoid each other. Contributing to the accident was the improper planning/decision of the pilot of the Cessna 210 to depart the traffic pattern on the downwind leg rather than on the upwind leg as recommended in the AIM, and the improper planning/decision of the pilot of the Beech 23 to enter a 2-mile downwind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/20/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | TAMPA |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33615 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | VANDENBERG |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | X16 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 333 |
| Airport Elevation | 16 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1056 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 257 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1706 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 20 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1108 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N81SC | N4021T |
| NTSB Number | MIA97LA008A | MIA97LA008B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 21OK | 23 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 21OK | 23 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21059382 | M-1128 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 | 2450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 11 1996 12:00AM | May 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 48 | 98 |
| Airframe Hours | 3767 | 2274 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICHARD W. CARR | GASPARILLA AIR FORCE FLYING |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2702 W. LEILA AVE. | P.O. BOX 172246 |
| Aircraft Owner City | TAMPA | TAMPA |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33611 | 33672 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | ||
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | ||
| Operator City | ||
| Operator State | ||
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | ||
| Operator Code | ||
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | No |
| Departure Airport Code | X16 | LAL |
| Departure City | LAKELAND | |
| Departure State | FL | |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1027 | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SPG | X16 |
| Destination City | ST. PETERSBURG | |
| Destination State | FL | |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |